Because Of You
by believeinthegods
Summary: Because he's not strong enough for her to do that to him again. Fax.


**Hey! This is my first Maximum Ride story - it's basically a Fang and Max oneshot set in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea where this cave is. Just go with the flow! LOL! No Book 4 spoilers, I promise you.**

* * *

Fang sighed, shutting the laptop lid and pushing it to the side. His eyes glazed over each member of, the Flock – each lost in their own distant slumber, looking so peaceful and vulnerable that Fang felt a fleeting stab of pity towards each and every one of them. They were children – they were just _children_. They didn't deserve this life, curled up in empty caves with no blankets and empty stomachs for days on end. Fang shook his head slowly, and then leaned over to get the newspaper that lay on the floor.

He turned to the cross word section after a moment's thought. He pulled a pen from his jeans pocket, tried it on the side of the paper and began to look at the clues. Many were about pop culture and other such irrelevant topics he didn't have a hope in hell of getting, but it was worth a try.

_5 Across – Element with the chemical symbol 'K' (9)_

Fang frowned, memories flooding back to him. He remembered being seven years old, in a cage, gazing up at a poster of the Periodic table on the wall of the School. He was pretty sure that 'K' had been on the left hand side somewhere...it was on the tip of his tongue...

Fang nearly smiled to himself as he scrawled in '_POTASSIUM' _into the boxes. He glanced down the list once again, looking for something relatively easy to select. He worked out a few more clues and scribbled them in. He had about seven completed when he selected another to have a go at.

_36 Down – Split or crack in rock formations (6)_

Fang's eyes found a spot on the wall and looked at it intently, thinking hard about the answer. He knew he _should_ know, but yet he couldn't remember. Was it a dale, or something? Canyon? That could fit – no, he thought to himself, it couldn't, because it had a 'v' half way through. He frowned slightly, racking his brains to little success.

Suddenly there was a scuffling at the entrance of the cave. Fang looked up to see Max's winged figure standing with the moon as her backdrop. Her silhouette glowed faintly around her vast, majestic wings that flapped gently. Her blonde hair was illuminated, and her smile was just visible through the darkness. It was painful to watch her – so beautiful, yet so untouchable it made Fang's insides ache with longing. She tucked her wings in gracefully and approached, her eyes scanning each of the Flock with an attempt to hide her anxious look.

"Sorry I was late," she murmured quietly, "I was checking out this nearby ravine."

Fang almost felt like smiling with the irony of it all, but he stopped himself just before he did so. He etched the word 'ravine' into the paper. Max frowned over at him, peering at the newspaper as if Fang was clutching something highly lethal and poisonous. "Where did that come from?"

"Shop."

"Oh, ha-ha. Hilariously funny. I'm crying with laughter, you're answer was so witty," Max said sarcastically. She made her final check on the sleeping kids, and then finally and wearily sat down beside him. Fang felt his pulse quicken as she did so, but he pushed it out of his mind.

Fang watched her eyes narrow as she looked down the list with concentration. "Um. Ok. I'm guessing you're as bored as hell. Can I help?" She looked up at him.

Fang shrugged, which Max, as usual, took as a yes. Fang found another answer and scribbled it into the paper. Max was trying to look as he did so, but was having trouble having problems. "Hey, quit hogging the sheet! I can't see!"

Fang nearly smiled again, but Max saw him and whacked him playfully on the arm. He whacked her back gently, and so the war began. They finally stopped when Max was laughing (albeit silently) too hard to whack back, and dropped her raised hand. She shuffled closer to him, trying to see the sheet. Fang could feel her soft skin meet his and his face heated. He thanked God night time was freaking _dark_.

"Huh. What about that one?"

_18 Across – 1960's British rock band that included Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney._

"Uh..." Fang mumbled, "Nope. Sorry. Not a clue."

Max seemed to be deep in thought, a look of reminiscence on her face. Fang watched her intently. She was so –

"The Beatles."

Fang was shaken out of his reverie. "What?"

"The Beatles," Max repeated, nodding enthusiastically, "I remember Jeb having their album when I was a kid. Remember, we used to sing that 'Yellow Submarine' song to Gazzy when he was in the bath?"

Fang nodded – the vision of a small blonde child with a cowlick splashing around in a bubble bath flooding back into his memory. His eyes flickered to the Gasman, who was curled up with his mouth slightly open as if catching flies.

Max took the pen out of his hand and wrote the word in for him. Fang didn't try and stop her. He'd learnt not to try and stop Max – only advise her, and face the consequences when she made a wrong decision. Which, he had to admit, was nearly never.

"You ok?" Max asked, frowning into his face, "You're quiet."

Fang looked at her sourly, "You don't say!"

She rolled her eyes, but her anxious expression stayed in place. Her eyes met him, and just for a moment there was no sound – there was nothing but Max in his head. Her dark eyes surveyed him in that way she would, when she thought he wasn't watching. But the moment was broken by Nudge's cough and Fang turned away, his heart feeling hollow and raw with emotion.

Time passed by – an hour, or maybe two, until every box in the crossword puzzle had been filled up. Fang pushed the newspaper to the side, and sighed. He looked at Max, whose eyes were looking out at the sky.

"Come on," Fang murmured, "You look beat. Get some rest."

Max blinked, tearing her eyes away from the sky. Her eyes met his, and her wings gently relaxed a little. "I was kind of hoping we could go for a fly."

Fang's breath caught in his throat. His heart tugged, and his wings were aching to stretch out and fly. A whole hour alone in the air with Max; it sounded like heaven. But then again…

"No, thanks," Fang said, not allowing his eyes to meet hers. Out the corner of his eye, he saw her frown.

"Why not?"

_Because I'm really stupid, _Fang thought bitterly. _The stupidest guy in the whole god damn world. _He paused for a moment, trying to decide as to whether he could bother making something up, or whether to tell the truth and face the consequences.

He made his eyes met Max's. Her steely determination and the look of intrigue on her face was so…so…

"Fang?" Max asked, "Go on. Spill. Why not?"

_Because I'm in love with you. Because you're perfect. Because you're my sole reason for living. Just maybe. _

_Because I'll kiss you and you'll fly away. Because I'll have to watch those wings, those beautiful wings, flying away from me all over again. Because I'm not strong enough for you to do that to me again._

"I'm just tired. That's all."

_Because of you, Maximum Ride._

_Because of you._


End file.
